This year, with a thumping profit of $281 million, staff expected something similar.

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Instead, the Communications Workers Union has branded Mr Fahour a Christmas Grinch, after he decreed the staff bonus would be a $100 voucher - to be spent at Australia Post stores.

Adding insult to injury, full-time staff will get in the mail 100 60¢ stamps (part-timers will miss out). Mr Fahour has said in a briefing to staff that the vouchers and stamps will begin arriving in the mail this week.

The Communications Workers Union said this year's Christmas bonus is thrown into stark contrast by Mr Fahour's own salary: of $2.77 million he received last financial year, $874,000 was a cash incentive payment. This, the union argues, is a rather large bonus.

Asked about this year's bonus payment to staff, Australia Post's general manager of external affairs, Jane McMillan, said that while Australia Post had delivered strong results, ''the outlook for the business remains challenging''.

''Continued mail volume decline and the need to invest $2 billion in our parcels and retail network means we will continue to keep our costs constrained,'' she said.

Joan Doyle, a state secretary of the Communication Workers Union's postal branch, said Mr Fahour had seen his bonus increase by a third last financial year. Meanwhile, the Christmas bonus decided on for all of his staff would fall, in some cases by 80 per cent this year, Ms Doyle said. ''Mr Fahour doesn't mind calling on our members to work harder and longer every year, but when it comes to rewarding them he turns into the Christmas Grinch,'' she said.

146 comments so far

Why are they getting a bonus anyway? I work for a government agency and I've never heard of a Christmas bonus being given out, nor expected it. Hell, we don't even get tea or coffee supplied.

You give them something one year, then the next year they expect it again, and then would start to demand more dollars each year in line with inflation....

Commenter

Craig

Location

Mel

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 4:32AM

The bonuses that I get are:Employment and Pay

I have never received an additional bonus nor do I expect my employer to provide one, if they do great but I am not expecting it.

Commenter

Ash

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 5:00AM

I think it might have to do with something call moral

Commenter

Decadence

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 5:11AM

Perhaps because, unlike your kind self, postal workers have to actually/visibly 'perform' for a profit to be turned. No mention from you of Fahour's bonus. Guess his is justified, eh?

Commenter

Enough

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 5:30AM

Why is Ahmed Fahour getting a bonus, then? I oppose bonuses entirely, but the workers at Australia Post have a genuine gripe about unfairness. There are two grounds:

1. Compare this year's to last year's. Profit up by 17%, but bonus for workers down by over 75%. - in Australia Post products on which the employer will turn a profit, too.

2. The huge bonus received by Ahmed Fahour, beside which the workers' bonus is an insult.

The best solution would be for bonuses to be eliminated for everyone next year - the bosses as well as the workers. Just pay people for doing their job.

Commenter

Greg Platt

Location

Brunswick

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 5:33AM

No bonus for me either and I will be working xmas day unlike the govt services or banks.

Commenter

Cynic

Location

on line

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 5:39AM

I see. So you don't get anything, so why should they? When did their bonus become about you?

Commenter

Bug

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 5:45AM

Yeah and pretty soon the staff are expecting to be treated the same as the bosses.

Commenter

Alasdair

Location

Adelaide

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 5:46AM

Absolutely they should. They already receive a wage for doing their job, but when responding to the management request to go above & beyond it's not unreasonable to expect some recognition. Would you rather spend your spare time working "gratis" for the boss - enriching them - or having some quallity time with family & friends? $500 bonus might sound good, but if you've done 50 hours unpaid overtime prior to getting it, that's only $10 per hour which is likely less than half your hourly rate.A quid pro-quo my friend - what's good for the goose is good for the gander!

Commenter

Russell

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

December 11, 2012, 6:18AM

If you want profit, go risk your house and start a business. You want a CEO pay packet? Then work your way up to the top like they have.